Bertha Parvis Institute of Technology

Faculty

Bertha Parvis Institute of Technology is a K–12 academic school with a senior‑secondary focus in Mount Victoria, Wellington. This page profiles teaching staff across our six pathways. Each biography reflects school‑level roles, Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand registration, and employment practices consistent with current New Zealand regulations. We do not promise immigration outcomes; staff employment and right‑to‑work are managed within lawful frameworks. In the spirit of honest education, these profiles show both strengths and the occasional, very human imperfection—an idea that needed a second pass, a lab report refined after moderation, or a design crit that stung before it clarified.

Computer Science & Data Systems (CS — BSc/MSc readiness)

Wiremu Te Rito — Head of Pathway
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Computer Science; MSc Data Science; PGDip Teaching (Secondary).
Teaching & Modules: Algorithms & data structures; software engineering practice; databases; HCI; digital ethics.
Profile: Wiremu leads a studio‑lab culture that blends disciplined code reviews with accessible design. He is meticulous about documentation and occasionally admits a prototype took one iteration too many—then shows how to fix it.
Research Interests: Responsible AI in schools; dataset privacy; accessible interface patterns.
Selected Publications:

  • School‑scale differential privacy for student projects (2022), DOI: 10.27461/bpit.cs.2022.873954
  • Readable code over clever code: a moderation study (2021), DOI: 10.27830/bpit.cs.2021.458219
  • HCI heuristics adapted for secondary assessment (2023), DOI: 10.28244/bpit.cs.2023.902117
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with Immigration NZ right‑to‑work rules.

Amaya Patel — Senior Teacher
Qualifications: BEng (Software); MSc Human–Computer Interaction; PGCE (Secondary ICT).
Teaching & Modules: UX engineering; testing frameworks; accessibility audits; front‑end architectures.
Profile: Amaya’s classes emphasise usability before polish. Her students learn to run inclusive tests and, when results disappoint, to change their method rather than their claims.
Research Interests: Inclusive UI; formative code reviews; cognitive load in novice programming.
Selected Publications:

  • Accessibility sprints in school HCI (2020), DOI: 10.27107/bpit.cs.2020.764215
  • Novice debugging patterns and cognitive load (2019), DOI: 10.27910/bpit.cs.2019.316842
  • Portfolio‑grade documentation for prototypes (2023), DOI: 10.28599/bpit.cs.2023.508437
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; prior AEWV experience noted; no immigration pathways implied.

Jun‑Ho Park — Teacher
Qualifications: BSc Computer Science; MInfSec; PGCERT Teaching (Secondary).
Teaching & Modules: Networks; information security; Python; DevOps basics; ethics of security testing.
Profile: Jun‑Ho trains students to respect boundaries in testing. He admits his first secure login demo once failed in front of the class—then used it to teach threat modelling more carefully.
Research Interests: School‑level infosec; ethical penetration testing; reproducible deployment.
Selected Publications:

  • Lightweight threat modelling for secondary projects (2024), DOI: 10.27622/bpit.cs.2024.117503
  • DevOps checklists that students actually follow (2021), DOI: 10.28361/bpit.cs.2021.695120
  • Network labs with responsible data handling (2022), DOI: 10.28814/bpit.cs.2022.840671
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Digital Arts & Design Practice (DAD — MFA/MDes readiness)

Rita Ngāmahana — Pathway Lead
Qualifications: BA Design; MDes Interaction; PGDip Secondary Visual Arts.
Teaching & Modules: Design thinking; typography; layout systems; motion graphics; creative coding.
Profile: Rita’s studios mirror professional critique while staying school‑appropriate. She welcomes imperfect drafts and shows how iteration reveals the idea within.
Research Interests: Critique pedagogy; Māori and Pasifika design contexts; inclusive motion.
Selected Publications:

  • Critique as care in secondary studios (2023), DOI: 10.27145/bpit.dad.2023.512764
  • Type systems for bilingual interfaces (2022), DOI: 10.28411/bpit.dad.2022.943201
  • Motion with meaning: accessibility in animation (2020), DOI: 10.27854/bpit.dad.2020.671358
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment consistent with NZ regulations.

Elena Petrova — Senior Teacher
Qualifications: MFA Motion Graphics; PGCE Art & Design.
Teaching & Modules: Storyboarding; colour theory; UI mock‑ups; portfolio assembly; usability testing.
Profile: Elena’s classes blend craft and method. She admits a storyboard once ran too long; her fix became a lesson in rhythm and pacing.
Research Interests: Visual storytelling; user testing in student portfolios; colour and cognition.
Selected Publications:

  • Usability crits in secondary design (2019), DOI: 10.28004/bpit.dad.2019.408933
  • Colour palettes and novice comprehension (2021), DOI: 10.28650/bpit.dad.2021.735119
  • From sketch to screen: authentic briefs (2024), DOI: 10.29301/bpit.dad.2024.220864
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Sione Taufika — Teacher
Qualifications: BDes Communication; MA Creative Technologies; PGCERT Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Branding systems; UI/UX; creative coding; inclusive design audits.
Profile: Sione encourages honest constraints. When a brand system broke at small sizes, he led a redesign that preserved voice and improved legibility.
Research Interests: Pasifika visual identity; small‑screen accessibility; code‑driven design.
Selected Publications:

  • Brand legibility at school scale (2022), DOI: 10.27488/bpit.dad.2022.563710
  • Creative coding for inclusive UI (2023), DOI: 10.28144/bpit.dad.2023.806421
  • Community‑sourced briefs in design education (2020), DOI: 10.28971/bpit.dad.2020.674055
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with NZ law.

Applied Mathematics & Physical Sciences (AMPS — BSc/MSc foundation)

Callum Fraser — Head of Mathematics
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Mathematics; MSc Applied Mathematics; PGDip Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Calculus; linear algebra; probability; mechanics; scientific computing.
Profile: Callum insists on defensible methods. He’s open about an early lab where error bounds were mis‑estimated—now his classes start with uncertainty analysis.
Research Interests: Error propagation; school‑level modelling; clear mathematical writing.
Selected Publications:

  • Uncertainty first: error bounds in school labs (2021), DOI: 10.27590/bpit.amps.2021.901237
  • Linear algebra for modelling across pathways (2020), DOI: 10.28377/bpit.amps.2020.564812
  • Readable proofs in secondary classrooms (2024), DOI: 10.29213/bpit.amps.2024.116509
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Li‑Mei Chen — Senior Teacher (Statistics)
Qualifications: BSc Statistics; MSc Statistics; PGCE Mathematics.
Teaching & Modules: Statistical inference; experimental design; data cleaning; reproducible notebooks.
Profile: Li‑Mei’s students learn to separate observation from inference. She admits a chart once misled her own class—now data visualisation starts with purpose and audience.
Research Interests: Reproducibility in school projects; ethical data practice; visual inference.
Selected Publications:

  • Reproducible notebooks for secondary data work (2023), DOI: 10.27031/bpit.amps.2023.790214
  • Misleading charts and better habits (2019), DOI: 10.28603/bpit.amps.2019.351806
  • Designing school‑level experiments with power in mind (2022), DOI: 10.29420/bpit.amps.2022.605132
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment consistent with NZ regulations.

Noah Abdullah — Teacher (Physics)
Qualifications: BSc Physics; MPhys; PGCERT Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Electromagnetism; mechanics; lab instrumentation; measurement validity.
Profile: Noah’s labs prioritise method over spectacle. He once scrapped a popular demo because the measurement validity was weak—students learned why that mattered.
Research Interests: Validity in school experiments; accessible lab write‑ups; calibration.
Selected Publications:

  • Calibration before spectacle: physics teaching notes (2020), DOI: 10.27199/bpit.amps.2020.420617
  • Measurement validity in student investigations (2022), DOI: 10.28465/bpit.amps.2022.875430
  • Electromagnetism labs with clear documentation (2023), DOI: 10.29704/bpit.amps.2023.118276
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Engineering Fundamentals & Technology (EFT — BEng/MSc preparation)

Kauri Henderson — Pathway Lead
Qualifications: BEng Mechanical; MSc Systems Engineering; PGDip Secondary Technology.
Teaching & Modules: Materials; CAD; manufacturing processes; systems thinking; safety.
Profile: Kauri’s notebooks are models of traceability. He admits a bill‑of‑materials once missed a fastener spec—now risk assessments and procurement lists are non‑negotiable.
Research Interests: School‑scale design‑build‑test; sustainable materials; safety pedagogy.
Selected Publications:

  • Traceable engineering notebooks in schools (2021), DOI: 10.27351/bpit.eft.2021.509432
  • Sustainable materials selection for student projects (2023), DOI: 10.28743/bpit.eft.2023.746905
  • Risk assessment teaching at secondary level (2020), DOI: 10.29875/bpit.eft.2020.620118
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with NZ regulations.

Sofia Garza — Senior Teacher (Electrical)
Qualifications: BEng Electrical; MEng; PGCE Technology.
Teaching & Modules: Electronics; PCB basics; embedded systems; test and measurement; ethics of prototyping.
Profile: Sofia emphasises safe experimentation. She tells the story of a prototype that overheated—her current labs include thermal checks and clear shutdown procedures.
Research Interests: Safety in school engineering; inclusive hardware labs; reproducible test protocols.
Selected Publications:

  • Thermal checks in student prototypes (2022), DOI: 10.27088/bpit.eft.2022.831690
  • Inclusive hardware labs for mixed‑experience groups (2021), DOI: 10.28311/bpit.eft.2021.409225
  • Test protocols students can actually follow (2024), DOI: 10.29634/bpit.eft.2024.117048
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Tomasz Kowalski — Teacher (Mechatronics)
Qualifications: BEng Mechatronics; PGDip Tech Education.
Teaching & Modules: CAD‑to‑print workflows; sensors and actuators; systems integration; sustainability reflections.
Profile: Tomasz favours simple designs that work. When a complex mechanism failed, his class learned why elegance often means fewer parts.
Research Interests: Low‑complexity design; school 3D printing; integration literacy.
Selected Publications:

  • Elegance by subtraction: mechatronics teaching notes (2019), DOI: 10.27133/bpit.eft.2019.508271
  • School 3D print standards and documentation (2021), DOI: 10.28207/bpit.eft.2021.754608
  • Systems integration at secondary level (2023), DOI: 10.29941/bpit.eft.2023.221905
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment compliant with NZ law.

Economics, Business & Social Enterprise (EBS — BCom/MSc readiness)

Aisha Rauf — Pathway Lead
Qualifications: BCom Economics; MSc Public Policy; PGDip Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Micro/macro; accounting literacy; policy analysis; social enterprise models.
Profile: Aisha’s seminars are evidence‑led. She once over‑relied on a single indicator—now her students triangulate sources and admit uncertainty where it belongs.
Research Interests: Evidence in policy at school scale; ethics of entrepreneurship; clear economic writing.
Selected Publications:

  • Triangulating indicators in school economics (2022), DOI: 10.27611/bpit.ebs.2022.915374
  • Ethics briefings for student enterprises (2020), DOI: 10.28155/bpit.ebs.2020.640213
  • Readable microeconomics arguments at secondary level (2024), DOI: 10.29477/bpit.ebs.2024.110982
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Oliver McKay — Senior Teacher (Accounting & Finance)
Qualifications: BAcc; MFin; PGCE Business.
Teaching & Modules: Financial statements; cost–benefit frames; impact reporting; policy contexts.
Profile: Oliver teaches rigour without rhetoric. He admits a spreadsheet once hid an assumption—his current classes flag and audit assumptions explicitly.
Research Interests: Transparent modelling; impact reports; school‑level financial literacy.
Selected Publications:

  • Assumption audits in student finance models (2021), DOI: 10.27066/bpit.ebs.2021.743280
  • Impact reporting that non‑specialists can trust (2023), DOI: 10.28694/bpit.ebs.2023.502119
  • Cost–benefit frames for community projects (2020), DOI: 10.29831/bpit.ebs.2020.619744
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with NZ regulations.

Haruka Sato — Teacher (Development & Community Economics)
Qualifications: BA Economics; MSc Development Studies; PGCERT Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Case comparisons; literature mapping; accessible summary writing; community briefs.
Profile: Haruka’s projects are local and practical. A field brief once proved too technical; the revision became a model of plain‑language economics.
Research Interests: Inclusive economic communication; community impact; school‑level policy study.
Selected Publications:

  • Plain‑language economics for community audiences (2022), DOI: 10.27402/bpit.ebs.2022.845109
  • Case comparisons with transparent limits (2021), DOI: 10.28396/bpit.ebs.2021.730615
  • Mapping literature for school policy studies (2024), DOI: 10.29790/bpit.ebs.2024.116337
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Biological Sciences & Environmental Stewardship (BSES — BSc/MSc foundation)

Moana Raukawa — Pathway Lead
Qualifications: BSc Biology; MSc Ecology; PGDip Science Education.
Teaching & Modules: Field methods; genetics; ecology; bioethics seminars; habitat surveys.
Profile: Moana’s fieldwork is careful and place‑based. She admits a sampling plan once missed a habitat edge—her classes now design pilots before full surveys.
Research Interests: School‑scale ecology; bioethics; reproducible field methods.
Selected Publications:

  • Pilot studies for student fieldwork (2020), DOI: 10.27017/bpit.bses.2020.605871
  • Bioethics seminars that change practice (2023), DOI: 10.28671/bpit.bses.2023.742506
  • Habitat survey methods in Mount Victoria (2022), DOI: 10.29963/bpit.bses.2022.913245
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with NZ regulations.

Pranav Iyer — Senior Teacher (Microbiology & EnvSci)
Qualifications: BSc Microbiology; MEnvSci; PGCE Science.
Teaching & Modules: Sampling; lab safety; data cleaning; method write‑ups; uncertainty analysis.
Profile: Pranav models humility in the lab. When a culture failed, he turned the lesson toward contamination control and clearer documentation.
Research Interests: Safe school microbiology; data hygiene; method clarity.
Selected Publications:

  • Contamination controls for school labs (2019), DOI: 10.27330/bpit.bses.2019.480612
  • Data hygiene in environmental sampling (2021), DOI: 10.28543/bpit.bses.2021.735801
  • Write‑ups students can reproduce (2024), DOI: 10.29658/bpit.bses.2024.115920
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; right‑to‑work compliant.

Charlotte Hughes — Teacher (Conservation & Field Ecology)
Qualifications: BSc Environmental Science; MSc Conservation; PGCERT Teaching.
Teaching & Modules: Transects; GIS basics; inclusive fieldwork; accessible reporting.
Profile: Charlotte’s reports are unpretentious and clear. She admits an early map lacked contrast; now GIS work begins with legibility and audience.
Research Interests: Accessible GIS; field safety; community reporting.
Selected Publications:

  • Accessible maps for school fieldwork (2022), DOI: 10.27005/bpit.bses.2022.640377
  • Field safety protocols that students remember (2020), DOI: 10.28723/bpit.bses.2020.576912
  • Community briefings for ecology projects (2023), DOI: 10.29819/bpit.bses.2023.119804
    Compliance: Teaching Council registered; employment aligned with NZ law.

Academic and Regulatory Notes

  • All teachers hold or are progressing towards Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand registration.
  • Employment adheres to current New Zealand right‑to‑work rules; no staff profile implies an immigration pathway or visa outcome beyond lawful processes.
  • Publications listed are school‑level outputs suited to secondary contexts; identifiers are internal or practice‑oriented and formatted in DOI style for traceability within our institute.